When We Were Young
by T. Mirai
Summary: The island was not just a place of refuge. It had become a sanctuary. A chance for new life. A home. And beyond its shores, cradled in the protective embrace of the sea and the verdant jungles, the Darkspear tribe kept their most precious treasure: their children. Co-written with Weiila.
1. Chapter 1

_This short story, to be presented in three parts, is from an RP between myself and Weiila. It explores our characters-some of which will be familiar if you've read our fan fiction before-in the era during which the Darkspear Tribe lived on an island off the coast of Stranglethorn Vale. We hope you enjoy this story._

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Morning spread over Stranglethorn Vale like the petals of a yellow-gold blossom, blooming slowly across the lingering night. Cobalt turned into a bright, cheery blue, and the hazy sun illuminated the dark jungle teeming with life that was either awakening for the day or slinking into the shadows for sleep.

The village on the western coast of the Darkspear Island was awakening. Its inhabitants stirred and emerged from their huts to greet the new day and begin their customary chores and duties. Young, strong males gathered their spears, blades, and bows to patrol along their village's borders or venture deeper into the island's dense trees and brush to hunt and gather. Priests and priestesses set out on their diligent treks to the temples further inland. Elders sat outside of their dwellings beneath thatched roofs, greeting one another and praising the warm, sunny day. Villagers went to work with woven baskets of picked herbs, newly stretched hides, clay pots of pigments, potions, and elixirs, or just a wooden pipe and a pinch of ganja.

Many of the females gathered near the beach with baskets balanced on their heads and hips, filled with laundry to be washed, fruits to be cut and dried, or grain to be rinsed. As the sun continued to rise above the ocean, they sang songs of praise and humble thanks to Ayida and Erzulie, praying for the loa's continued protection of their whelps. The women luxuriated in the warm light and the cool breeze lofting from the sea, and shared morning gossip while their children played on the shore.

The whelps moved like a synchronized flock of birds, their swift and abrupt changes in direction determined by the leather ball being kicked ahead of them. At the head of their pack was a gangly, skinny lavender-skinned mem'ki. His long feet kept the ball spiraling and bouncing across the sand. Shouts and laughter of amiable, if fierce, competitive excitement followed as the other children bounded after him.

It was already starting to show, even at such a young age, that Nok would a quick little pup when he was older. Vo smirked at himself for thinking of him in such a way, as he was not quite an adult himself. Though he was nearly twice Nok's age, there were still several seasons before his adulthood ceremony. There was a time when Vo did not see or feel the age difference between himself and his younger friends. Yet as he grew into a mon's tall, lean body, it felt appropriate to distinguish himself from the little trolls that were unquestionably children.

Vo's age and longer legs offered him no advantage in the game, however. No matter what, the purple furred whelp and many of the ones closer to his age kept well ahead of him.

Nok was playing dirty, too. Vo recoiled whenever one of the others came too close to the foamy waves, kicking up a spray of salt water and sand. He had fed the raptors in their pens that morning and gotten too close to a wilder one. The new slashes on his legs weren't deep and healing well, but the salt water would sting unmercifully if soaked through his bandages. Vo swore Nok, much more wily and shrewd than most whelps of seven, knew that.

Tch. Vo rubbed a sand-covered hand against his sweaty forehead. He sort of missed his long hair. The fringe had provided some shade for his eyes, at least. But raptors liked to snap at things, and his once-long braid had gotten too close to toothy jaws one time to many.

Vo glanced aside and sought the eyes of the other older troll in their group, certain that he would be delighted to team up with him for the ball. Kall was burlier than Vo, but still kept up with the younger children. He found his gaze across the heads of the whelps and grinned with understanding. Flattening his long, pierced ears against his head, Kall pumped his large legs harder to fall in pace with Nok.

"Vo!" Kall called out, and kicked his foot quickly between Nok's. The move was too well planned and quick to actually trip the younger troll, but it did send the ball shooting away from the whelp's feet and directly to Vo's.

"Hey!" the young green-eyed troll barked as Vo took up the ball with his feet and changed direction. Immediately, he was flanking after him, readjusting his course with little transition. The other whelps could barely keep up with the violet and blue blur, some tripping in the sand as they tried to turn just as abruptly. Nok sprinted after Vo, tongue stuck between his teeth. "Cheater!"

"Ain't cheating' to work together!" Vo panted with laughter. Glancing quickly around, he leapt to the side, spinning and kicking the ball toward another whelp. "Your turn, Kee!"

The small troll with a wild and half loose tail of blood-orange hair made a squeaking noise of elation as Vo passed him the ball. He nearly tripped over the leather sphere, but managed to regain his footing and propel it forward. As quickly as he scampered, Keevu was nowhere near as fast as Nok. The whelp was regaining the distance that had been put between him and the ball.

Keevu squeaked in alarm. "'Kashii, help!"

With all his strength and before he toppled face first into the sand, the whelp kicked the ball to another boy. Akashii caught it beneath his foot before taking off in a fast sprint, nearly running into a woman that was hauling a basket of seaweed up the beach. "I got it, Kee!" he shouted. If anyone was a match for Nok in the impromptu game of take away, it was the taller, stronger youth. Nok advanced on Akashii, flanking his side, and the two friends grinned challengingly at another.

Rising from the sand and spitting it from his mouth, Keevu shook it from his wild hair before spiritedly running to rejoin the game. Kall, keeping in stride with Vo, chuckled breathlessly. "We're getting too old for this!"

"Yeah, or they're getting longer legs," Vo replied with a feigned huff for emphasis. The pair rushed in, prepared if Akashii wanted to pass the ball on. Yet the group game had become a one-on-one duel. The other children didn't seem bothered being omitted briefly from the chase. Gathering in a wide ring, they cheered and hollered encouragingly, excited by the ensuing "battle."

"You just better give me the ball, 'Kash," Nok goaded playfully, though his eyes were narrowed and his ears flat against his head. "You know you can't beat your big brother."

Akashii laughed and deftly kicked the ball back and out of the other youth's range as Nok tried to dislodge it from beneath his feet. "Tch, there's no way I'm giving you this ball, Nok," he retorted. "Especially when you think you can beat me just because you are older! I'm bigger!"

"You trying to pull age on him now, Nok?" Vo snickered, taking up a post beside Kall outside of the circle of children. Despite his goading, the older troll kept an eye on the pair for any escalation in play to real aggression. Akashii and Nok were both ferociously competitive, and neither would relent in surrender. Vo hoped it wouldn't turn into a true fight. Chances were, it would. It was the nature of most friendships, nothing out of the ordinary that wouldn't be reconciled later. Scratches healed and lost teeth re-grew or made for amusing stories. All the same, no matter how brief, Vo hated that period before tempers settled and the fight was forgotten.

"Bebes! Breakfast!"

With those two shouted words, the battle for the ball and a subsequent scuffle that would end in a week or so of snarling and aloofness was inevitably avoided. Nok and Akashii, already growling with more hostility, stopped and swiveled their eyes and ears up the beach. Food would always have priority over satisfied egos. They exchanged a grin before joining the pack of whelps that swarmed toward the cluster of their mothers and the large pot.

"Yay! Breakfast!" chirped Keevu, who, trying to keep up with the other whelps, tripped over the fluttering ends of his kilt and once again fell face first into the sand with a squeak.

Kall and Vo laughed at the youngest's expense. "Mem'ki, we need to get you a shorter sarong," Kall said, picking up his little brother and dusting the sand out of his fur and hair. He took his hand and the three followed the hungry gaggle to the breakfast pot. Two of the mothers were doling out generous portions of warm porridge made of rice and fruit.

"Vo, Kall, Kee, c'mon!" called Nok. He and Akashii already had their woven bowls, and were moving to claim the cluster of tall, broad-leafed palms they often ate.

"Guess we better get breakfast before it's all gone or the whelps start eating without us," Vo sighed, his stomach growling at the mere idea of foraging for himself.

Fortunately, there was plenty that morning. The older teens and the younger whelp collected their bowls and joined Akashii and Nok in the shade. Vo crossed his legs comfortably and, blowing on the porridge to cool it, scooped it into his mouth with his fingers.

He enjoyed the early mornings with his little brothers, before his chores called him away. The whelps got to play longer, but both Vo and Kall had their duties to the tribe as near-adults. It was fortunate that those duties also involved taking care of the younger mem'kir, allowing them a sort-of reprieve. Seeing after the rambunctious pups could be just as exhausting as wrangling raptors.

"Don't inhale it," Vo mildly chided them. Akashii ate just as ravenously as one of the reptiles, and Nok barely breathed between gulps of the sweet, nourishing porridge. Only Keevu ate with reserve, sitting between Kall's legs with his bowl in his lap, picking out the fruits in his cereal to eat first.

"Vo, you and Kall goin' to the mainland today?" Nok asked. Akashii's head snapped up from his bowl, and he too stared at the teens with eager curiosity. Being close to adult age, Vo and Kall were allowed to join on the scouting patrols that left their island by skiff to venture onto the mainland of Stranglethorn Vale. For the younger whelps, the privilege was as fascinating and thrilling as it was terrifying. The mainland was home to dangerous creatures that considered the Darkspear as prey. Specifically, other trolls.

"Chaako said that the scouting parties weren't going to the mainland again anytime soon," Keevu said in his timid, soft voice. He looked up at his big brother, nibbling nervously on his lower lip. "Right, Kall?"

Smiling, Kall soothingly patted the little whelp's head. "That's right, Kee. Master Sen'jin said so," he replied. His blue eyes flitted over to Vo's pointedly. Neither had to say why parties weren't being sent to the Vale. Everyone knew, even the whelps. It had been a chilling and depressing night when the two surviving scouts of a party of six had returned battered, beaten, and nearly dead. An ambush of Bloodscalp trolls confirmed the enemy tribe had moved closer to the northern shore of the Vale. Though the Darkspear Island was well away from the coast, it was still an unsettling thing for the village to be aware of.

Snorting derisively, Nok lifted his head and puffed out his chest with the overzealous and overconfident bravado of youth. "I'm not scared of any Bloodscalps!" he proclaimed with a toss of his tusks, which were just beginning to jut a small distance beyond his chin. "I dare them to come to our island! Chaako has been showing me how to use his daggers and he says I'm getting good! I can defend our village!"

"Me too!" Akashii added with just as much insistence, his brown eyes narrowing beneath his brow and red bangs. "Those Bloodscalps can't defeat our tribe! We're too strong." Keevu did not echo his friends' zeal, quite content eating breakfast in the safety of his brother's presence.

Vo was not enthused by their fervor either. His ears twitched down, but he subdued any other sign of unease behind a grin. "Going to the mainland is not half as fun as it sounds," he said with a snicker he hoped sounded unimpressed. The teen tried to divert their attention. He leaned over to playfully flick Nok's ear. "I'm gonna hunt birds for raptor bracelets. Do the master rogue, great warrior, and wise shaman want to come along?" He looked at Keevu, smiling. "Master Kej'don wanted some pretty seashells for the females too."

In an instant, all three whelps' attentions were diverted away from fantasies and fears of fighting Bloodscalps to a much more plausible and safe activity. "We can go with you?!" Nok asked, his emerald eyes wide. "Yeah! Let's go hunting!"

"I'm good at finding shells!" the youngest whelp exclaimed, smiling brightly. Kall stroked Keevu's red head and gave Vo a grateful smile. For now, the grisly topic of mainland patrol was completely forgotten.

"When can we go!?" Akashii asked, bouncing excitedly. "Now?"

"After breakfast," Kall replied sternly, and added as the boys began to eat faster, "And no rushing. You'll both get sick and your mothers will keep you home."

The hunter's words didn't do much to slow their ravenous eating. They were too impatient. Even Keevu quickened his pace, but his hazel eyes fell to Vo's thigh. "Are you still hurt, Vo?" Keevu asked.

Licking his lips, Nok's eyes moved to the older troll's wrapped leg. "You're wearing bandages still?" He frowned. "That raptor must have gotten you bad, huh?"

The sudden interest in his wounds gave Vo some pause, and he lowered his bowl to look at his leg. "It's not so bad," he said, though he was touched by the concern. His heart was sorer than his leg, however. The decision had been made by the master handlers to kill the beast, deemed too aggressive for proper rearing. Vo was not the first that had been attacked by it. Even when he had been on the ground bleeding, the trainer-in-training dizzily mourned the loss. It had been a beautiful creature, and Vo worried his own carelessness had cast the final straw against the raptor.

Vo smiled through his lingering disappointment and guilt. "Can't be that bad if I was able to keep up with you today. And look, I've got all my fingers." He waggled his hands to prove his point. It had been almost three weeks since he last lost a finger. Closing up on his record.

Nok's frown turned into a smirk. "Still couldn't catch us," he retorted with a grin that was looking more and more like his father's every day. It softened into a smile. "But I'm glad you're feeling better and could play with us today."

"And didn't lose anymore fingers," Akashii added, licking rice from his chin. "Me and Nok got a bet, you know. If you can make it a whole month and a half without losing another, I get his wave riding board. So be careful."

"You're not gonna get it," Nok deadpanned into his bowl as he drank.

Vo wasn't sure if that comment reflected Nok's lack of confidence in his abilities as a raptor handler, or just resentment at the idea of losing his beloved board. Probably both. "I'll do my best to make sure you win," he grunted and poked the side of Akashii's head. Nok got a playfully angry glance for his lack of faith.

Keevu was not interested in a wager surrounding missing fingers. "Have the eggs hatched yet?" he asked with wide, eager eyes.

"Not yet, but any day now. I'll tell you at once when it happens," Vo said with his own enthusiastic smile. He, like all the other breeders, prayed for as many eggs as possible to hatch. If there were enough, not only would it be a blessing, but Vo's master Kej'don had implied the young trainee would be granted the honor of caring for his first brood. Under supervision of an elder, of course, but it was an honor all the same. Vo was already receiving praise for his natural skill with the reptiles; the thought of rearing a whole brood was exhilarating. Strong, healthy whelps were a blessing from the Loa, as it meant strong, healthy mounts for riders and companions for hunters. It also revealed the obvious skill of the trainer that handled them.

"I can't wait until I get my first raptor!" Nok said spiritedly, balling his fists and grinning. "I'm going to have a big dark one like Chaadoi does! With scary armor on it and my spears on the saddle!"

"I want a red one!" Akashii piped up. "A really mean, snarly one that I can call Firescale!"

"I just want a little one I can keep in the hut…" Keevu mused, chewing the last of his rice porridge. He looked up at Vo'don. "Can we see the whelps when they hatch? Will the muuka let us touch them?"

Vo was warmed by his little brothers' enthusiasm and interest. Their individual desires for very different raptors was telling of their personalities. "Probably not right away, but I'll ask Master Kej'don when they are a few weeks old. They won't have too sharp teeth then, either."

Keevu giggled, excited was the prospect of getting to see newborn raptors. "Okay!"

"So can we go now?!" Akashii huffed excitedly, bouncing up from the ground. "I'm finished!"

"Me too!" Nok exclaimed, wiping the remainder of his breakfast from around his mouth and stubby tusks. "Let's go back to the village and get dressed and ready!"

Kall collected the empty bowls and stood. "I suppose I should get going as well," the young hunter said, stretching his tall, thick body. "Master Zun wants me to do some tracking a bit further inland. Some of the tiger dens have been moving, which isn't normal. He's afraid something has been chasing them out of their territory." He smirked at Vo. "Think you can take care of the bebes without me?"

"I'm not a bebe!" Nok and Akashii both huffed in unison, glaring at the older males that just laughed.

"We'll stop calling you bebes when you stop calling us old mons," he told the whelps, who puffed again indignantly. Vo lifted his brown eyes to Kall's blue. "We'll stay close to the beach, don't worry. I'll have my bow with me."

He hadn't planned on going too far inland anyway; it wasn't necessary when hunting the birds he had in mind. However, if something was hunting tigers, he didn't want to run into whatever that was, nor a family of huge, agitated cats.

"Have the mem'kir take their daggers with them too. Just in case." An unnecessary request, Vo thought, but he was glad Kall said it in front of the children. No Darkspear went anywhere without being armed, even the youngest of them like Keevu.

Kall took the bowls to the women for washing while Vo and the whelps waited. Nok smoothed his hands through his long, dark indigo hair and yawned. "Maybe we should find Kanna," he said casually. "She's good at spotting birds."

"You only want her around so you can gawk at her like a big-eyed murloc," Akashii chided his friend as Keevu giggled.

Scowling, Nok narrowing his gem-green eyes before tossing his head away. "No, I just thought she'd be useful since she's good at finding birds, s'all!" he snapped, a blush rising to his lavender cheeks.

Akashii folded his arms smugly. "Fen'di shouldn't come on a hunting trip, it's too dangerous," he proclaimed. "Besides, she'll just argue with Nok the whole time and then they'll get mad and we'll have to listen to them fight."

"You better watch it, or Erzulie might see fit to have a fen'di stronger than you put a dagger in your heart," Vo replied with a snicker. "She'll beat you up but you'll love her anyway and then you'll look like the weak one." The teen shrugged. "A lot of the fen'di go hunting. Half of 'em are better hunters than me, that's for sure."

Akashii's ears twitched and he snorted derisively. "I'm not saying fen'di are weak," the young troll scoffed. "I'm just saying they shouldn't come on hunting trips! They might get hurt and then there won't be anyone to have our whelps!"

"He's such a traditionalist," Kall chuckled, returning to the group as he wiped his hands on his tunic.

Vo gave Akashii a long, thoughtful look and then grinned at him. "And a considerate mon…I guess…"

"Can we go now, huh?!" Nok asked impatiently, already dashing ahead.

Grinning at Vo, Kall picked up Keevu and sat him on his broad shoulders. "Yeah, let's get going before you pups wet yourself in excitement. Meet by the mo'ai in a few." The younger mem'kir cheered and, in an impromptu race, took off running toward the village.

The group separated briefly to retrieve what weapons and supplies they needed. Vo returned to his family's hut. It was empty, both his parents probably out tending to their own duties. He collected his bow and quiver, his belt and dagger, and a bag with cloth and cleaning oil for the feathers.

He didn't have to wait long at the mo'ai, a towering statue of a snarling loa in troll form. The whelps returned, wearing leather tunics and pants with short bows around their chests and small daggers on their belts. Keevu and his brother came a few minutes after. The young hunter was dressed in sturdier armor appropriate for an advanced trainee of his level. Kall took a moment to readjust Keevu's belt and small dagger while warning him to be careful. The glances he gave Akashii, Nok, and even Vo said the same thing, and the older boy left them for his duties.

"Alright! We're ready!" Akashii shouted, his fur visibly bristling with excitement. "Let's go!"

"We should search the area near Muuka's temple!" Nok said enthusiastically. "There are always TONS of birds over there, and the other priestesses are so—"

The sound of heavy, strong voices diverted the youths' attention. A group of armored, weapon bearing trolls passed through the entrance marked by the protective mo'ai statue. Most of them were sentries that regularly patrolled during the day and night. Two of them, however, were dressed in sleeker, darker garments, one wearing a sheath of spears, the other a pair of black-bladed daggers. The Shadow Hunter, tall and thickly built with a slow, but powerful gait, walked in stride with the one-eyed, dark furred rogue. They were in deep conversation, and did not notice the whelps until Nok called out.

"Chaako!" The mem'ki ran toward the group, and the rogue smiled and greeted his son with open arms. Nok clung to him, giggling and pleased by the attention. "Honnah, Chaadoi!"

The Shadow Hunter smiled with sedate warmth, and reached down to ruffle his grandson's hair. "Honnah, kai'fi," he spoke in a voice that was soft, yet commanding. His brilliantly red eyes lifted to the other young males that approached. "Are we going hunting today?"

"Yeah! Vo wants us to help him hunt birds, Papa Sen!" Akashii said with an excited nod, staring reverently at his best friend's powerful grandfather and father.

Vo's own regard of Shadow Hunter Sen'kafa and his son the rogue Neero was just as awed. He knew both of the mons of the Shadowskull House well on a near familial level having been Nok's friend since he was a bebe. Still, the younger troll showed respect by bowing shallowly to the two elders.

"Well, it is good to see you have dressed appropriately and armed yourself," Neero said with a smile, adjusting his son's leather tunic. He looked to the eldest present and his face sobered. "Tread carefully, Vo. I trust Kall told you about the tiger den that has seemingly disappeared."

"Of course, Master Neero. I'll make sure nothing happens to the boys. Those tigers will eat me before that happens." He said the last in a lighter tone, but there was a look in his eye that said he was very aware it wasn't the tigers that worried everyone, but rather what had chased them off.

The white-haired rogue chuckled. "Well, I'd prefer that none of you get eaten," he replied, a note of fondness in his voice for the young raptor handler.

"Chaadoi, ya goin' off on patrol?" Nok asked curiously, looking up at the Shadow Hunter.

Sen'kafa nodded, the many jujus and beads around his neck chiming together. "Yes, kai'fi, down to the other side of the beach." He looked up at Vo, the shift in his focus purposeful. "There were mysterious tracks found there, ones that may or may not be troll."

By troll, it was unnecessary for the older Darkspear to clarify he meant "enemy troll." Neero saw the look of fright in the younger whelps' eyes and he smiled comfortingly. "No need to fret, mem'kir. Just stay away from the western edge until we make sure it's safe."

The three boys nodded, murmuring confirmation with coy voices. Vo didn't have to worry about their brash bravado and curiosity getting the best of them. Akashii and Nok may have talked with tiger teeth earlier, but they weren't so foolish as to be ignorant of how dangerous unknowns could be.

He had his own not so small anxiety, but hoped it did not show when he nodded to the two mons. It meant much that the elder trolls entrusted him with their whelps, the most precious assets of the Darkspear tribe.

Sen'kafa, Neero, and the rest of the party took their leave, and Vo wished them well on their patrol. There was a tension among the young whelps and a wariness in their large, frightened eyes. Smiling reassuringly, Vo hunched down, reaching out to put one hand on Nok's shoulder and one on Akashii's, so that his arms brushed along Keevu's back as well in half a group hug.

"Hey now, I'd never take you anywhere dangerous. Even if you insisted," he said, throwing a mild jab back at the little pups' earlier eagerness. "I'd never let anything happen to any of you, you know that, right?"

The mem'kir exchanged glances, then they nodded. Vo grinned and pinched at their ears to make them giggle and smile. "Good. Well, let's go hunt some birds."


	2. Chapter 2

Vo led the trio of whelps to the beach, listening to them chat excitedly about what they could see and do on their little adventure. It was taking the oldest troll a little longer to feel at ease, though his increased wariness was not necessarily a bad thing. He feared Sen'kafa and Neero's warnings would keep him and the whelps tense, making for a miserable trip. Yet eventually the warm sun, cool wind, melodic sounds of the jungle, and easy chatter and playfulness of his little brothers managed dissolve his anxiety.

Not that he didn't still keep a sharp lookout for anything suspicious. The mem'kir were his to protect and he didn't forget that for a moment.

Nok walked slightly ahead of them, a reflection of his unofficial role as "leader" among those his age. He was always looked to for the final say in decisions, possessing the sort of confident charisma of one that was easy to follow. Much like his master rogue father and Shadow Hunter grandfather.

Akashii, being the largest of the whelps and always possessing a protective, yet gentle disposition, walked behind him with Keevu at his side. He held the youngest boy's hand, occasionally flicking his brown eyes toward the jungle or swiveling his large ears for any sort of sound to be wary of. The little red head trotting at his side, meek and coy but always reassured by the presence of those he could trust, bounced excitedly. He bent down to pick up stray pieces off palm fronds to sweep across the sand as they walked.

After a while, Nok backtracked a few steps to pace beside the eldest male. "Hey Vo?" he began with an inquisitive stare, almond-shaped eyes squinting and head cocked. "Why do the other tribes hate us so much?"

Akashii and Keevu, who had been playfully batting each other with palms, looked over at that question. They blinked at Nok, then turned their attention to Vo, waiting with obvious expectation and sudden interest.

The question was not an easy one, nor could it be answered succinctly. "Ah well…" Vo started vaguely, gazing towards the jungle to gather his thoughts. Amongst the branches of a tree, he spotted the shadowed form of a snake, and the sight of that offered some inspiration.

"The tribes are always fighting over the territories on the mainland, like mongooses fighting over a den. They thought that just because our tribe was smaller, we were weak, and they could easily take our lands and kill us. Like little snakes. But…"

He gave Nok a reassuring smile, knowing how dear serpents were to his family as worshippers of Damballa. "…we were never the baby snakes they thought we were. Even if we were small, we were venomous and could still bite." He lifted his chin in an unusually haughty look. Vo was being playful, but at his core, he was very proud of their heritage and their tribe's ability to survive against the odds. "They didn't expect to get their noses bit. They didn't think we'd be so hard to defeat."

Hanging on to his every word, the three whelps listened intently, each of their minds conjuring up slightly different visualizations of what Vo described. The explanation was oversimplified, and did not include every detail, but their expressions revealed it was understandable enough.

"But…they drove our tribe away from the mainland, didn't they?" Nok said and glanced toward the trees. "We had to come to this island because they were killing our people. They defeated us. What does it matter if we were hard to fight if we still lost and got driven away?"

"Our burrow was too vulnerable," he said, waving at the mainland. "Over there, our enemies could attack us from many directions, and together." He pointed toward the ocean; far in the distance on the horizon, the bare sliver of green land that was the Vale could be seen. "Here, we have the ocean to protect us, and we can see them coming if they cross the waters. We can build ourselves up here, make our tribe bigger and stronger. Then, when the time is right, strike back at them like cobras."

At least, that was what he had gathered from listening to elders. The tales of the Darkspear Tribe's existence in the Vale existed only as that: spoken stories passed down generations from long deceased ancestors that had lived in such tumultuous times. Yet if there was any real plan to eventually retaliate against the tribes of the Vale and reclaim their original lands, Vo had never heard it.

"It's called tactical withdrawal," he went on all the same. "Sometimes, it takes a little snake years to become a large one. Even if it was weak and small before, it will grow, and become powerful enough to kill its enemies. It only has to wait."

The three mem'kir seemed to consider what Vo told them, nodding in understanding. Still, Akashii and Keevu looked to Nok, as if to confirm his explanation was placating enough. Nok adopted a very serious face, one that reflected his father's when thinking.

"I guess…you have a point," he finally said, nodding. Nok smiled brightly and the mischievous expression he often wore returned. "Maybe that's why Chaako and Master Teoyoa keep going to the mainland with the other rogues! They're planning a retaliation attack to get those stupid Skullsplitters!"

With a much too high-pitched, prepubescent battle cry, Nok suddenly cartwheeled forward into a neat roll. He snatched up two twigs from the ground and, in his hands, the long sticks became daggers. The youth's mouth mimicked the sounds of twin blades clashing against an invisible enemy's, swinging them forward and in dramatic arcs.

But the imaginary battle was not to be fought alone. Akashii jumped into the fray to be at his best friend's side, swinging a palm frond axe and bellowing his own slightly deeper battle cry. Keevu was not usually drawn to playing war games, but he wasn't going to leave his friends without support. Squeaking fiercely in the name of his tribe, the youngest threw his hands up and wiggled his fingers, pursed lips making the whistling whoosh noise of the spirits congregating to heal his comrades.

Vo laughed as the serious discussion dissolved into a make-believe battle featuring the necessary elements of an epic legend: the crafty rogue, the brave warrior, and the mystical shaman. Only one thing missing…

Letting out a loud, haughty scoff, Vo tossed his tusks and made a sweeping motion with his arm, as if to shove aside warriors that were in the way. "Stand aside!" he barked, bending his fingers like claws as he stepped toward the three mem'kir. "Ana'thek the Cruel fears nothing, not even the Darkspears' three champions!"

The young trolls turned around, confusedly regarding their brother, who had transformed into the notorious chieftain of the Skullsplitter Tribe. Keevu giggled, amused by Vo'don's comical interpretation of the troll that was often the nightmare of many young whelps. Yet Nok and Akashii leapt swiftly into defensive stances in front of their healer, brandishing their weapons threateningly.

"You'll never beat the Darkspear Tribe!" Nok retorted challengingly, lips curled in a grin over his still growing tusks. "Our faith in the Loa and our people is strong and we'll never surrender our Vale to you!"

"Pah, insolent pests!" Vo answered Nok's defiant declaration, trying to keep some semblance of a prideful, cruel countenance. The laughter that bubbled up in his chest made it difficult. "Come face me then, weak little Darkspear!"

Akashii, who wasn't one for taunting monologues, led the charge. He swung his axe at their Ana'thek, shouting the Darskpear battle call as he smiled broadly. Nok followed, brandishing his blades. Keevu stayed out of range of the melee fighting, wiggling his fingers and calling upon the spirits and the elements.

They were good. Even for young children, they were very good. Though they fought with leaves and sticks and their movements were far from being honed in real battle, they showed impressive skill. Nok and Akashii both trained with experienced master rogues and warriors respectively. Both whelps could be lazy, hard-headed, and arrogant, but it was obvious they took their lessons in defense and fighting seriously. Even at seven, Akashii had strength in his young limbs that surprised Vo, and Nok's speed took him by surprise and tripped him up more than once. And though not as experienced as his two friends with wielding weapons, Vo knew smart, keen-minded Keevu would be just as skilled a shaman.

It was fun and games, but a form of training too. Whelps were encouraged to play "Battle" and though the reality of facing another troll was far more brutal, it taught the inevitability of conflict.

Having had his arm cut off, as well as stabbed in the chest and burned with flames, not even the great Ana'thek could remain standing after a long battle that earnestly winded Vo. Snarling loudly, he allowed himself to flop to the loamy, grass speckled sand, clutching at his arm and belly. Grunting melodramatically, he lolled his tongue out with an exaggerated final breath. A convincing death scene was too much to demand. Vo burst out laughing, shattering the illusion.

"The heroes win again!" he chuckled, holding his stomach, this time with mirth.

The brave and mighty warriors of the Darkspear tribe crumbled into giggles, the demise of their sworn enemy much too amusing to endure straight faced. Akashii waved his palm frond triumphantly in the air before joining Nok in pouncing on the fallen "Skullsplitter," giggling and cheering.

"We did it!" Keevu laughed, trotting over to join the heap.

"Ana'thek is no match for us," Nok proclaimed with an arrogant grin, teasingly snapping at Vo's ears while Keevu and Akashii engaged in an impromptu tussle next to them.

"Oof!" Vo grunted, but laughed as he tried to avoid Nok's clicking teeth and pointed tusks. "Ack! You can't torture the dead enemy leader! The battle is over!" He shoved the smaller boys off and they all rose from the ground, shaking sand out of their hair and fur. Panting, bodies buzzing with energy from the game, the mem'kir retrieved their real weapons and continued down the beach.

There was a trail that branched off from the shoreline, leading into the edge of the jungle where tufts of grass and brush pushed up from the sand. "We ought to find some really nice feathers," Vo said, taking up the lead. "Master Kej'don hopes to get Se'amsa a mate, but she's a haughty fen'di. Not easy to impress."

To the truly knowledgeable raptor breeder, it was a serious matter to find a life partner for a stubborn beast. Se'amsa was a beautiful teal colored female, but she had proven far too proud to accept a proposal by any male. It would be a great honor and impressive feat to help his master find her a mate. Or at least help a potential suitor with presenting a sufficient bracelet for the picky lady. Vo'don would not waste his breath trying to impart the same zeal for feather-finding upon his little brothers. They knew raptors attempted to impress potential mates by presenting one another with feathers, but were not interested in romance beyond that. Not even Keevu. Vo supposed it was enough that they even wanted to come with him.

"We'll find some pretty feathers for the raptor!" Keevu sing-sang happily. As Akashii and Nok, still wielding their found weapons, began a duel of the giggly, but still very much serious sort, he began the first verse of a Darkspear children's song about the Primal Loa:

_"Walking through the jungle, what do I see?_  
_I can see Bethekk looking at me._  
_Up in the tree tops, what do I see?_  
_I can see Hethiss looking at me._  
_Tip-toein' down a web, what do I see?_  
_I can see Shadra looking at me._  
_Prowlin' in the bushes, what do I see?_  
_I can see Shirvallah looking at me."_

As they ventured further into the jungle, the green shadows of the trees enveloped them in a gentle cool that smelled of damp earth and fragrant blossoms. Vo moved at an even pace, always making sure that his little brothers never lost sight of him and that he could always see the three of them ahead.

The sound of the ocean became distant with each step. There were always sounds of squawking birds, chirping insects, and rustling trees, but layered over them was a constantly present heavy silence. The quiet of the jungle. Vo's breath evened and his steps softened. He walked with a natural, careful stealth as shadows fell over his body and leaves brushed against his arms, legs, and head. His ears twitched and his gaze wandered, taking note of any sign of movement. He wasn't worried, but he was alert. Every troll knew the beautiful emerald depths could hide a lot of things both good and bad.

Even the little trolls instinctively adapted to their quieter, more dangerous surroundings. Keevu's voice became softer until he was just humming. His bright hazel eyes ever so often flicked warily from bush to bush, observing the darker, distant spaces of the jungle beyond. Akashii and Nok flanked their red-headed friend on both sides, ears swiveling keenly.

They walked a few minutes more before Akashii gasped and trotted ahead. "Look, Vo!" he rasped, pointing up the trunk of a large tree. A collection of brightly hued macaw perched high in its boughs, grooming their feathers and snoozing in the warm morning sun. There were droppings on the earth below as well as mottled feathers and discarded remains of cracked shells.

"It's their nesting tree!" Keevu giggled quietly. He looked behind him at the raptor breeder in training. "Will their feathers be good, Vo?"

Crouched to hide himself in the brush and better see the random splotches of brilliant color between the branches, Vo gave Akashii and Keevu an approving grin. He slowly drew an arrow from his quiver, keeping his gaze focused on the oblivious birds. All of them were of a deep blood red, the edges of their feathers dipped in blue and yellow. He studied each carefully, knowing that he wouldn't be able to fire a second shot before they fled through the canopy. It would be some time before they dared returning.

He chose a male with long, elegant tail feathers in a relatively un-obscured line of sight, and silently raised his bow. He didn't dare glance over at the younger trolls. Their excitement and anticipation were palatable, and a little distracting. They were silent though, eyes wide and breaths held. Constricting his own lungs, Vo knocked the arrow and drew back the taut string.  
The bow sang with a twang as he released. The birds screeched and took off in a flutter of scarlet wings, branches rattling violently from their flight. In a cascade of leaves, the male macaw plummeted from his perch and thumped onto the undergrowth.

"Hah!" Vo breathed and hurried forwards, throwing a triumphant glance over his shoulder to his little brothers. The trio let out whoops of excitement, following the older troll to help claim his prize.

"You did it!" Keevu cheered. At the sight of the bird's corpse, neatly pierced with the arrow in its breast, he frowned. "Poor bird…"

"It died quickly, I promise," Vo said with a gentle smile, knowing well of Keevu's tender heart for animals. There were freshly and not so recently shed feathers scattered over the roots of the tree, some stuck in bushes or piles of droppings. "Pick up the clean ones, would you? Whatever I don't use can go to good use, I'm sure."

Keevu began meticulously collecting the cleanest, brightest, and fullest feathers, but Nok and Akashii crowded next to Vo to watch him pick up the bird. He did it gingerly, not wanting the rivulet of blood dribbling from the bird's breast to stain the tail feathers. Their quality did not disappoint. The shorter feathers of the wings would make good raptor bracelets too. The meat would make for a tasty, if small meal. He could probably take the bones to a witch doctor for trade, though Nok and Akashii had already started bickering over who would get the skull.

Vo hung the bow over his shoulder and drew his dagger to hack off the brid's head. Fascinated by the grisly process, Nok and Akashii helped spread out the wings while he held the body upside down and coaxed the blood to drain from the two wounds. It didn't take long, nor was it very neat. Had Kall been with them, the older hunter would have done a proper, cleaner job.

Looking up, Vo smiled and winked at the whelps. "I've still got to pluck it after I hang it to drain for a bit, but it's getting pretty warm out. How about we gather some mangos while we wait?"

"There's mangoes over here, Vo'!" Keevu called over his shoulder from the other side of the large nesting tree. The young whelp quickly trotted through the taller brush. Following Keevu's red, bouncing tail of hair with his eyes, Vo saw one of many mango trees just a handful of paces away, fat, ripe fruit hanging heavy from their branches. There were plenty on the ground, so Keevu would not have to climb. His hair waved above the tall grass like a fluffy flower as he bent over to gather the fruits.

"Got some!" Keevu shouted, and stumbled ungracefully back toward the tree with a handful of mangos.

"Good job, Kee!" Vo smiled at him, then lowered his eyes to watch the process of the draining.

There was a sudden, soft rustle of leaves. Keevu squeaked, and as often as Vo heard the whelp's quirky little noises, he knew when they were not of the usual surprised or giddy sorts. The sound he made was startled, thin and high with fear.

Immediately, Vo lifted his head, and a cold, debilitating shudder of terror shuddered through his body at what he saw.

The troll with his hand wrapped around Keevu's tuft of wild hair had emerged from the jungle with the silence of a shadow wraith. His dusky blue body was hunched over the little whelp, draped in necklaces of curved bone that were too large to be fangs. Hair bloodier than that of the red feathers fallen from the macaw was arched in a tall, intimidating mohawk. In his other hand, pressed under Keevu's small neck, was a blood-stained dagger.

"Hello, little ones," the Bloodscalp troll hissed, dark lips pulled back from a raptor's grin of yellow, menacing teeth.


	3. Chapter 3

Vo could not remember snatching for his bow and nocking an arrow, but suddenly he was holding both. His arms were taut and drawn, the bone arrowhead aimed at the Bloodscalp. His body was acting independent of his mind, fueled by instinct. There was no other explanation how, despite the fact his ears and legs were trembling with fear, he acted so swiftly. Vo would not be able to recall being more terrified in his life, yet neither had he ever been so enraged. The white hot, blind fury of a protector seeing his ward in danger melted the icy terror that would have weighed him down like a stone.

Tiny, sweet-hearted Keevu stared at him across the small distance that separated them, and Vo could see the terror and pleading in his wet, large eyes. Nok and Akashii, tense and still like a pair of rabbits as all of the fearless, naïve bravado of youth had fled them, stepped closer to him. "V-Vo…" he heard Nok whimper in a tremor.

His friends, his little brothers—they needed him. They would die if he did not act. That is how Vo found his strength in that dire moment. The quivering in his limbs ceased. Every muscle in his body drew as taut as his bowstring. His dark eyes narrowed as his lips pulled back in a snarl of fury.

"Let go of him!" the young Darkspear barked, and he did not wait for the Bloodscalp to answer or act. The arrow whizzed through air and into the troll's shoulder, far off Vo's mark of his eye but a hit all the same. The Bloodscalp sneered and, reeling back in pain, loosened his grip from Keevu's hair. Snatching away from his hand, Keevu squeaked and fell forward. He scrambled forward only a few paces; the little whelp cowered next to the winding roots of the tree, too terrified to move any further.

"You'll pay for that, Darkspear cockroach!" the Bloodscalp roared, yanking the arrow unceremoniously from his shoulder before his hands drew a pair of axes from his belt.

"Run, Kee!" Vo cried as the troll took aim, desperate rage twisting his voice as the Bloodscalp's uninjured arm coiled back. The hurled axe was a gray whirl aimed right for the audacious Darkspear youth's face. Vo defly darted aside, purposefully shoving into Nok and Akashii both to knock them to the ground. His action put the whelps out of the weapon's path. It cost him half of his right ear.

Vo only half strangled the cry of pain that came from his lips, somehow holding on to his bow. The Bloodscalp seemed satisfied with only wounding him, and turned his attention to Keevu. The second axe was raised in his fist.

Vo fumbled for a new arrow from his quiver, hands shaking from adrenaline and pain. Look at me, look at me, look at me, he pleaded. Nevermind Kee. Great Mother, Gonk, please—!

"Bugheads can't aim!" he shouted and forced a grin despite his pain. The slur referred to the beetles commonly used for making crimson dyes, favored by the Bloodscalps that drenched their hair in it to look like blood.

As expected, the Bloodscalp didn't take too kindly to the name. His head whipped toward Vo and his eyes were wild with loathing. "Foolish whelp," he hissed hatefully, stalking forward with fangs bared and the axe raised. "I'll take your other ear before I put your head on a—"

The dagger was small, but it was sharp and thrown with deft accuracy. When it found its mark in the Bloodscalp's left eye, the troll screamed and went down on his knees, cursing and swiping at his face like a wounded panther.

Nok's arm was still outstretched, fingers empty and poised. Having taken the opportunity to sprint to his friend's side, Akashii, holding the Bloodscalp's thrown axe, was crouched over Keevu.

"C'mon, Kee, I got'cha!" he grunted, and picked up the little troll like a sack of grain before leaping back over the tree roots. "Vo! Run!"

Having been stunned by his little brothers' actions, Vo could not take more than a split-second to admire their skill. "Nok, GO!" he shouted, but the young rogue-in-training was already sprinting ahead of him.

Vo did not immediately follow, and for good reason. The Bloodscalp was half-blinded, the blade still jutting from his eye, but was already on his feet again. "Fucking cockroaches!" he roared, and launched himself after Akashii with a speed unencumbered by his wound. The whelp was not as fast as Nok, and with Keevu in his arms he would not be able to outrun their enemy.

"Get out of here!" Vo managed to spit before he dashed forward, barreling toward the Bloodscalp instead of following his brothers in their retreat. He was not yet a mon, and the Bloodscalp was larger and undoubtedly years older and more experienced than he in combat. The tusks around his neck proved that. But Vo would not let him take his little brothers, not while he still breathed.

He stopped thinking. The world went red as he dropped his bow and dashed forward, drawing his dagger from his belt. As the ancient instinct of the frenzy took his mind and body, Vo roared and tackled the Bloodscalp, stabbing wildly at whatever part of the other mon's body he could catch.

The two of them went down in a heap of snapping jaws, flailing limbs, and swiping blades, tumbling across the grass into the brush. The Bloodscalp howled in pain between his grunts and cursing, disadvantaged by the blade lodged in his eye and the blood further blinding him. Still, the wild swings of his axe were dangerously desperate and wild. They caught Vo across the shoulder and back, slicing into the flesh there repeatedly.

To Vo, the world was a slow moving gutter of red and searing pin pricks that didn't quite register as pain. "VO!" a voice cried out, and in the haze of his bloodlust Vo recognized it as Nok's. The whelps had not left their older brother, watching the brawl helplessly from a distance. Akashii was still holding Keevu, and Nok stood in front of them, grasping his remaining blade but trembling like a palm leaf in the breeze. "Fight him! Fight him, Vo!"

Vo's stabbing was as frantic as the Bloodscalp's hacking axe. His dagger managed to hilt in the flesh just below his rib cage at his side, puncturing through muscle and organs. Screeching in agony, the Bloodscalp's body jerked rigidly; his teeth gnashed as the pupil of his remaining eye dilated. Dropping his axe, his large, calloused fingers wrapped around the Darkspear's neck.

Vo croaked, brown eyes widening as his blood rushed loud in his ears. His red-tinted vision blurred, lights glinting and sparking at the corners of his eyes. Instinctively, he managed to wedge his forearm beneath the Bloodscalp's chin. As the troll's fingers tightened in an attempt to choke him or snap his neck, Vo shoved against him with all of his effort and held fast to the dagger.

"VO! VO! FIGHT!"

The encouraging shouts of his little brothers and the knowledge of what would happen to them should he fall created a sudden, hot burst in his chest. It exploded through his limbs, firing through veins and muscles. The Darkspear snarled, foamy spitting flying from his mouth. The blood slicked dagger was slippery in his grip, but with a furious, desperate tug he ripped it out of the Bloodscalp's side and clumsily stabbed upwards into the troll's throat.

With a sickening squelch, the blade pierced through the underside of the Bloodscalp's jaw and burrowed into his skull. He inhaled one last gargled, wet breath as his eyes rolled back in his head and his body began to convulse in spasms. His fingers jerked open, dropping his own bloody axe to the earth. Finally, with a raspy exhalation of death, his form slumped lifeless and heavy against the young Darkspear.

Drenched in the mon's blood, Vo's frenzied state gave him the energy to shove the heavy body to the side and scramble from beneath it. His enraged mind, robbed of clear thought, did not immediately conceive his enemy was dead, and Vo crouched with his blade still clutched in his dripping red hand. It wasn't for several seconds, when the mon did not move save for involuntary spasms of his dying body, that Vo began to come back to his senses. The ebb of the frenzy took with it some of his adrenaline. The pain inflicted on his body became more acute; his lungs and throat ached from the savage choking, and there were several axe wounds on his shoulders, chests, and arms. How deep, he couldn't tell. Most of the blood that stained his fur and dripped onto the jungle floor was the Bloodscalp's, but he knew much of it had to be his own.

"Vo!"

Vo's head snapped around at the sound of his name, and he was momentarily startled to see the three whelps there, cowered together. Their faces were blurry, but he could see their panic. The strain of his bloodlust and the brawl was taking its toll on him. The world spun around in a mishmash of too bright colors and searing sunlight.

"Bebes…" he croaked before collapsing to his knees. The frenzy evaporated and tore the strength from his limbs, leaving every muscle drained and weak. He kept blinking, disoriented, desperate through the swoon to know that his brothers were alright.

"V-Vo!" Nok was at his side. He tugged desperately on his arm, trying to pull his brother up from the ground. "V-Vo, c'mon! We gotta get out of here! What if there are more?! W-we gotta go tell chaako and the others!"

The urge to lie down and just sink into the grassy earthy was strong, but Nok's words renewed the severity of their situation. The whelp's tugging at his arm wasn't nearly strong enough to help much, but for those first precarious moments it and his pleading might have been the only things that gave him strength. Vo pushed himself to his feet and almost immediately fell over again. The wounds in his shoulders and back flared, but he kept his balance and started forwards with raw determination.

He couldn't keep up anything faster than a bare jog. The whelps flanked him, and Nok kept closer to allow Vo to lean on his shoulder. Out of the corner of his vision he could see Keevu curled against Akashii's chest, honey-brown eyes wide but unfocused. He wished he could have been the one holding Keevu. Vo just wanted to know the little whelp was alright.

Even the children could sense the sudden presences at their back and sides. Figures flitted through the dense jungle in brief flashes of blue, red, and light glinting off weapons. Hissing, hateful disembodied voices echoed from the shadows. Keevu whimpered and began to cry. Akashii held him tighter and tried to hush him as he and Nok searched the trees with their wide, fearful eyes.

They weren't even to the beach yet, though Vo could see the brightly illuminated water and sand through the trees. The threat of the Bloodscalps stalking them had quickened his steps, but it was still not fast enough. Vo doubted he could keep the pace up without collapsing.

If they were attacked again, and by more than just one stray enemy, Vo knew he would not be able to defend his little brothers. They would die, and the village would never know what was coming for them. If they left him, he would die, but at least he could buy them some time. He could distract the Bloodscalps, and Nok, Keevu, and Akashii would make it back to the village. They would live.

"Go on! Go ahead!" he rasped wearily. "Just…keep runnin'! No matter what! The village needs to know! You need to get there!"

"W-what?! No!" Nok cried, fiercely shaking his head. "We're not leaving you! You gotta keep running, Vo! J-just keep going! We gotta—"

"No! You have to go!" Vo barked, harsher than he would have ever spoken to his little brother. Fear, pain, and stress muddled his mind and his voice. He couldn't lose them. He would not be responsible for the deaths of three of the tribe's children. Not his brothers. "You have to leave me!"

"We're not leaving you!" echoed Akashii in an equally fierce voice that belied his youth. The ferocity was absent from the gasp that followed, and the whelp pressed closer to Vo as something rustled in the bushes not far from their trail. "You can't give up, Vo. Please!"

Snarling with frustration, more with the situation than the whelps' stubbornness, Vo squeezed his eyes shut. His vision was doubling now. Blood pounded in his ears, dripping liberally from the one that was now shorn by half. "Spirits, dammit!" he cursed.

Vo's eyes snapped open as his own words ignited an idea. It was desperate and driven by fear and instinct. Perhaps his curse had been more of a prayer. Hopefully, the loa would hear him.

The youth tossed back his head and emitted a high, piercing screech. Master Kej'don had always praised his abilities to imitate raptor "speech", necessary for communicating with the wild, but intelligent beasts. His favorites were the friendly warbling and hissing, yet the sound he made in that moment was filled with panic and desperation. His own earnest pain strengthened the shrillness of the cries. He shrieked again, and then a third time.

In the distance, but well within hearing range, other screeches answered. They were sharp, furious, and agitated, responding to what sounded well enough like a wounded female warning that her nest had been invaded. Vo cried out again, and a collection of reptilian voices replied.

The response of the nearby raptors, more adept at concealing themselves than the Bloodscalps, was swift. Their approach was heard in the rustling of trees and the surprised cries of the enemy trolls. Snarls and screeches followed by barks of Zandali, grunts, and cries of pain echoed all around them. Gonk be praised, Vo thought deliriously with a weary laugh. The Darkspears weren't the only natives the Bloodscalps were intruding on, and enraged raptors would not be taken as easily as four young whelps.

A trio of Bloodscalps crashed out of the trees and into the path behind them. Vo turned his head just long enough to see them, obviously winded and blood-splattered from a run in with a raptor or two. They were all armed and as Vo briefly caught eyes with one, he saw the fury in his baleful stare. "RUN!"

Nok suddenly yelped and Vo turned to find that his brother was no longer at his side. In a panic, he thought that one of the mons caught up with them and grabbed the whelp. It was a vine that had snatched Nok off his feet, but the momentary lapse in their fleeing allowed the pursuing Bloodscalps to catch up easily. Vo could see the spittle gleaming on their jagged teeth.

"NO!" Vo screamed, and his vision blurred over in a haze of red and tears. Mindless in his rising fury, the young troll flung himself toward Nok. If he could just get between them for a second…!

A beastial snarl echoed through the trees. It preceded the enormous, hulking shadow that pounced into the path between the children and the Bloodscalps before Vo could reach Nok. It was followed by a flash of light, sun glinting off metal, and a brilliant, violent arc of red. A head sailed through the air as the first of the three Bloodscalps went down in a heap on the ground, still clutching its spear.

The hulking troll dressed all in black crouched over Nok like a panther. In his hands, obsidian-bladed daggers gleamed with the Bloodscalp's blood. The other two mons came to an abrupt halt behind their fallen brother. Vo could not see the face of their defender, but he did not have to. The fear reflected in the trolls' eyes was telling enough of how terrifying a sight the Gurubashi Shadow Walker made.

Still, they rushed forward, screaming battle cries and brandishing their weapons at the large troll. He did not even move from his protective stance over the small whelp. He didn't need to. The black daggers arced through the air, cleaving both of the Bloodscalp's spears in half before reversing to carve through their necks. The bodies crumpled at the Gurubashi's feet, twitching.

Scarred eyes closed under his furrowed brow, the large troll swiveled and flicked his ears, turning toward the sound of distant shouting and raptor screams. Then, the Gurubashi grunted softly and sheathed his blades before leaning down and scooping the fallen whelp into his arms.

The huge mon that cast Vo in a cold, intimidating shadow sedately approached him. Flinching involuntarily, Vo cowered as the Shadow Walker walked right past him and spoke only one word. "Move."

He knew the elder troll would not wait for him, so Vo did. Akashii gaped up at the Gurubashi with as much timid awe as Vo had. The mon continued, expecting the whelps to follow, and Akashii came to Vo's side to walk with him. The little warrior, still protectively clutching Keevu, smiled at him. Tears welled in Vo's eyes, and he smiled back.

No other enemies attacked them as they followed the Shadow Walker out of the dense jungle. In the distance, Vo could hear fighting and he knew it was not between the raptors and the Bloodscalps. With some small shame, he chided himself for ever thinking his tribe could be caught off guard by their enemy. As they arrived on the beach, they were immediately met by five Darkspear, all armed with weapons that showed signs of recent battle.

"Teoyoa," the Shadow Hunter Sen'kafa said as he approached him. His red eyes flitted to each of the young whelps and he sighed heavily with relief. "You found them. Erzulie be praised." The mon's gaze hardened, and he looked up at the troll. "How many?"

"Seven," Teoyoa replied in his heavy, gravelly voice. He handed Nok to one of the soldiers, and Sen'kafa took the opportunity to stroke his grandson's head. "A group of four, then three when I found the whelps."

"And we found three as well." The Shadow Hunter snarled. "No telling how many are being engaged in the jungle. Too few for an ambush, but too many for recon scouting."

Sen'kafa turned to the troll holding Nok and a shaman. "Take these whelps back to the village. Alert Master Sen'jin and the Siame-Quashi. The home guard should take the children, females, and elderly to the coves immediately."

The two trolls did not hesitate, and Teoyoa, Sen'kafa, and the remaining Darkspear swiftly darted back into the jungle. It had been difficult for Vo to keep up with the brief conversation. All the adrenaline had drained out of his body and he felt dizzy and lightheaded from the blood loss and exhaustion that followed being enraged. But he knew his brothers were safe. Still, he searched for each one of their faces, numbly counting to make certain again they were there.

"Here drink this," the shaman said, and Vo's fingers limply closed around the bottle pushed into his hand. "Can you make it to the village, mem'ki?"

Vo could barely lift his arms, but somehow he uncorked the bottle and sloppily splashed the elixir on his tongue. It was foul and sharp in flavor. A numbness spread in his mouth, slowly trickling down his throat and spreading through his neck and chest. He sighed, swaying on his feet. "I- think," he rasped, and lifted his eyes again to look for Nok, Akashii, and Keevu. Akashii met his gaze. The tall boy was shaken and pale as seafoam, but still standing and holding Keevu. The littlest mem'ki was whimpering and trembling in Akashii's arms, but his eyes were more alert. Vo couldn't see Nok's face, pressed in the crook of the headhunter's shoulder and neck. He reached up to gently tug at his dirtied foot, and Nok made a soft croak before dissolving into sobs.

Laughing weakly, hot tears trickled down Vo's dirtied, blood-stained cheeks. He scrubbed at them with the back of his arm as the shaman put a gentle, but insistent hand on his back. The elixir was working well; Vo could barely feel his touch through the layer of soothing numbness that continued to coat him. It was easier to walk through his pain now that he couldn't feel it. He was glad, however, that he could feel the brush of Akashii's smaller body as the young whelp put himself under Vo's arm to press close to him.

"We'll tend to your wounds when we get back to the village," the shaman said as they walked at a brisk pace. Her eyes lowered to Vo and she smiled. "By the look of all that blood, you must have fought very well."

Akashii looked up at the shaman, then at Vo. His lips curled into a soft smile around his tusks, and his eyes welled with tears. "He did."

Meeting Akashii's gaze, Vo felt his heart clench in his chest. The realization of how close Bwonsamdi's touch had come would not set in until later, but he knew they had evaded him. Vo was not the sort to bask for too long in his own accomplishments. Yet in that moment, he thanked the loa he had been there with his brothers. He would have given his life to see them safe, but it was not the spirits' will he should die that day.

Fondly butting his tusks against Akashii's head, Vo put an arm around him and gently stroked Keevu's russet head. Over the headhunter's shoulder, Nok looked at him. Vo gave him a gentle smile, then turned his eyes to the ocean.

The tide was calm that day, which meant the trek to the coves that served as the villages' shelter would be easy. Hopefully, huddled together in the protective embrace of their island, they would find some peace.

_End_


End file.
